Fernanda da Almeida Pinheiro’s List U emerged as the frontrunner in the first round of voting with 33.81% of the votes (6,496 votes), while João Massano’s List R secured the second-most, garnering 30.95% (5,946 votes). Both lists will advance to a runoff, following the conclusion of the initial voting round for the upcoming three-year term of the Order of Lawyers (OA) as reported on March 19 when the first round concluded.
Trailing behind were José Costa Pinto’s List N, which received 25.57% of the votes (4,912 votes), and Ricardo Serrano Vieira’s List T with 9.67% (1,857 votes). A total of 22,566 votes were recorded.
The OA elections were brought forward by current president, Fernanda de Almeida Pinheiro, following the enactment of new statutes that introduced new bodies within the organization, necessitating the appointment of their representatives.
This development led to internal dissent, which Fernanda de Almeida Pinheiro described as divisive for the legal community, a situation she believes the elections will resolve.
Fernanda de Almeida Pinheiro is seeking re-election, advocating for continuity and emphasizing the importance of not hindering ongoing progress, particularly regarding the revision of the lawyers’ pension system and access to justice systems, including the update of the fee schedule for court-appointed lawyers—an update finalized after more than 20 years without changes.
João Massano’s candidacy platform emphasizes the need to reunify the legal community, attributing the current disunity to the actions of the incumbent president.
During his campaign announcement, Massano criticized the creation of divisions among those who participated in protests related to court-appointed defenses and among those working in large law firms versus independent practitioners.
He aims to develop a support program for lawyers, aiming to reduce the isolation experienced by practitioners located away from major urban centers.
